1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic additive dispensing assembly structured for use with a toilet fixture which is normally connected to a pressurized water supply for flushing without the presence of an accessible flush tank, such as, by way of example, a commercial toilet bowl or urinal. The assembly is structured to permit cleanser, deodorant, disinfectant and/or like additives to be automatically dispensed into the toilet bowl or urinal with the flush water concurrently to a flushing operation, and activated thereby. The additive may be provided in solid or liquid form, as are commercially available, such that the additive is effectively mixed into at least a first portion of the flush water, prior to the flushing operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In most modern-day commercial toilet fixtures, such as a sit-down toilet or a stand-up urinal, the flush water is provided directly from a supply pipe connected to a pressurized water supply, wherein a flushing handle is usually accessible exteriorly of an in-wall connection to the pressurized water supply so that the user of the toilet fixture can manipulate the handle or activate an electronic eye to open a flush valve thereby serving to discharge the flush water to the toilet bowl or urinal in a flushing operation. Such commercial toilet fixtures differ from domestic structures wherein a flush tank is normally provided in fluid communication between the water supply and the interior of the toilet bowl. Manipulation of the flushing handle in such devices allows water to flow from the flush tank, under gravity, into the toilet bowl causing a flushing action.
In both commercial and domestic applications it is well known that a cleanser, deodorant and/or disinfectant mixed into the flush water discharged to the toilet bowl or urinal, is beneficial in terms of eliminating unwanted odors as well as keeping the interior surface of the toilet bowl or urinal clean of any algae or like substance forming thereon. In the area of domestic toilets, wherein the aforementioned flush tank is frequently accessible, it is common practice for the placement of a dissolvable solid or liquid cleanser, deodorant and/or disinfectant to be placed directly into the flush tank to permit mixing into the flush water retained therein. Accordingly, upon flushing, the water within the flush tank having the additive entrained therein will pass into the toilet bowl serving to cleanse, deodorize and/or disinfect the interior thereof. Replacement of such additive is easily accomplished by lifting the top of the flush tank and adding a new supply of additive directly thereto.
In most commercial toilet and urinal fixtures, however, there is no mechanism to place an additive such that it may be retained to mix into any portion of the flush water prior to a flushing operation.
It is, thus, recognized as being more difficult to provide cleanser, deodorant, disinfectant and/or like additive to the flush water of a toilet fixture without a flush tank since the supply pipe which discharges water to the interior of the toilet bowl or urinal is connected directly to a pressurized water supply structured to force flush water directly into the toilet bowl or urinal. The supplying of a preferred additive to such an assembly therefore presently requires expensive modification of the plumbing and/or a replacement of the connection of such plumbing to the pressurized water supply system.
Several United States patents disclose systems and/or apparatus for the provision of the aforementioned type of additive to a commercial type toilet fixture which is absent any readily accessible flush tank, as is common with domestic toilet fixtures. However, none of these patents provide for sufficient retention time of an additive with at least a portion of the flush water to assure that an effective concentration of the additive is mixed into any portion of the flush water prior to discharge into the toilet bowl or urinal during a flush operation. Accordingly, there is a recognized need in this area for a system and/or apparatus for automatically providing an additive to the flush water of a commercial type toilet bowl or urinal such that the additive is mixed into at least a portion of the flush water prior to the flushing operation.
The present invention provides an assembly wherein mixing of a cleanser, deodorant and/or disinfectant with at least a portion of the flush water is accomplished prior to flushing, for a toilet fixture not having a flush tank. Specifically, the present invention comprises a retention chamber at least temporarily containing a first portion of the flush water in which an effective concentration of at least one additive is mixed therein, and a second portion of the flush water obtained from a conventional pressurized water supply which displaces the first, concentrated portion of the flush water from the retention chamber and provides the additional flush water necessary during the flushing operation, which also flows into and out of the retention chamber. More in particular, between successive flushing operations, sufficient retention time is provided for at least a first portion of the flush water to contact an additive such that an effective concentration of the additive is mixed into the first portion of flush water prior to discharge into the toilet bowl or urinal.
In the past, commercial toilet fixtures have used screens or a solid charge of an additive in a disk-like shape, for example, one placed in a urinal. However, the effectiveness of such charges is limited due to the lack of contact time with the flush water such as is required to assure an effective concentration of the additive in the flush water. To overcome the disadvantages of prior devices, expensive assemblies have been suggested, as in the aforementioned U.S. patents, however, such expensive assemblies comprise numerous components which operate as a machine and, as such, require relatively high initial and maintenance costs. The structure of the invention disclosed herein avoids the prior art problems and is well suited for the purposes specified and apparent from the following description. In particular, this invention exposes at least a portion of the flush water to the additive selected, which may include any chemical additive for the intended cleansing, deodorizing and/or disinfecting purpose that is on the market, for a period of time sufficient to permit an effective concentration of the additive to be mixed therein. In addition, the invention disclosed herein does not require expensive installation, as it is structured for simple, easy, do-it-yourself installation, comprising connections which may be readily adjusted to a required length, and which requires little to no maintenance or repair.